During the first “Armenia. Create Together” youth forum (11-14 July) held by the RA Ministry of Diaspora, in association with the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Luys Foundation and Ayb Foundation, Regional Director of the Armenian Assembly of America in Armenia Arpi Vartanian delivered a speech entitled “Advocacy in the USA” for the “Advocacy and Media” Atelier.

Summing up the forum, Arpi Vartanian told Hayern Aysor that she had noticed that the Armenian students were smart, educated and business-minded from the first day of the forum. They stood out with their literate questions that charmed the speaker.

“Unquestionably, Diaspora Armenian youth are concerned about their future and the future of Armenia. They were asking how they could help empower Armenian communities of the Diaspora and contribute to Armenia’s advancement in their respective countries of residence. I am charmed by the young Armenians. We need to make every effort to support them,” the Regional Director of the Armenian Assembly of America said.

Arpi Vartanian also presented the programs of the Armenian Assembly of America targeted at Armenian youth. “To assure young Armenian Americans how important their role in society is, in 1987, in Washington, DC we started implementing student programs. By engaging them in different kinds of activities, we helped them gain international working experience and establish contacts with each other.

By working with Congressmen or Senators in the summer, the youth understood that officials were taking their voices into consideration and listening to them express their opinions.”

Arpi Vartanian added that the Armenian Assembly of America had launched its first student program with the same strategy in Armenia in 1999. Through this program, young Diaspora Armenians visit Armenia and Artsakh in the summer to see the sites worth seeing and historic and cultural sites, after which they fall in love with both countries. At the end, they have a picture of how they can serve their Homeland and the Armenian people.

Gevorg Chichyan